904 not shifting into gear

[Canuck Bryan]

I had my transmission completely rebuilt with a performance shift kit and custum built torque converter a couple of years back. I finally got to the point last week where the engine, transmission and driveshaft were all in the car at the same time. I ran the car up with it on jack stands and figured I would break in the rear end while I was at it to Moser's specs. The transmission shifts from park into reverse and all work fine - tires turning in the right direction and everything. So I shift it into drive and nothing - rev up the engine - still no rotation of the driveshaft or rear wheels. I am not a transmission guy so I left it at that. I am 90% certain the linkage is hooked up properly and moving the gear selector lever as it should on the transmission.

Is there some easy checks to make to try and track down the problem? I will run it up tonight and see it I get anything by shifting it into first or second as this did not occue to me until after I was done mucking around.

Another thing is - the car wont start with the transmission in "neutral" I though this was an issue with the neutral safety switch so I tested it and it didn't seem to work so I replaced it and retested it and got the same failures - ie center post is grounded in park - but not in neutral, and there is no connectivity between the outer posts in reverse - so this leads me further down the thought path that the transmission itself isn't shifting even though the selector lever is moving.

Thanks in advance guys.

Bryan.

 

[TrailBeast]

Ok, lets get simple first.
The neutral switch requires that the linkage is in the right place, and it has contact so it's just a linkage adjustment I'd bet.
Put the shifter in neutral and the trans in neutral with the lingage disconnected at the trans (just pop the rod off)
Then adjust the linkage to match where the rod lines up with the hole in the shift lever.

One other easy to eliminate possibility is that it does not have enough fluid in it yet.
(Chk it in neutral)

Then I would see if it has the right filter in it.
Then an air check on the clutchpacks and servo's
If you follow this in this order, you will find out real fast whats going on.

Just let us know if you need info on how to do any of this.

 

[green1]

If it starts, rule out that switch statement. The first test would be; un-hook the linkage . in park or neutral, start it. Now with your hand, shift it, from under the car. Report back.

 

[TrailBeast]

If it starts, rule out that switch statement. The first test would be; un-hook the linkage . in park or neutral, start it. Now with your hand, shift it, from under the car. Report back.

Fluid level first.
Then linkage.
And it doesn't start in neutral.

 

[fishy68]

If it starts in park and engages into reverse when you select it that tells me the shift linkage is moving and probably closely adjusted but do like TB said about the linkage adjustment and let us know if that solves the no neutral start/no reverse lights problem. If it doesn't something isn't right inside where the rooster comb engages the switch and you'll have to drop the pan to check it out. No forward gears is quite possibly a torn lip seal on the rear clutch drum or they might have done something wrong installing the shift kit. Can you contact the guy that rebuilt it and talk to him to see if he ran into any possible problems during the rebuild that may be a hint as to why this happened?

 

[Canuck Bryan]

Ok -so it seemed to be a combination of low fluid (forgot to account for the new trans cooler) and the linkage out of adjustment (didn't swap to the new shifter arm when the B and M floor shift got installed - silly mistake).

Car now starts in neutral and park and shifts through all of the gears.

Still don't have connectivity between the outer posts on the neutral safety switch in reverse - what sort of resistance should I be looking for? The center post to case is less than 10ohms in park and neutral so I figure it should be similar for the two outer posts??

Thanks for all your help guys.

Bryan.

 

[70aarcuda]

outer post of neutral safety switch is for the back up lights...

center post is for G terminal on Starter Relay Switch..provides Ground to SRS went trans is in Park and Neutral so engine can only be started in Park and Neutral..

 

[fishy68]

Ok -so it seemed to be a combination of low fluid (forgot to account for the new trans cooler) and the linkage out of adjustment (didn't swap to the new shifter arm when the B and M floor shift got installed - silly mistake).

Car now starts in neutral and park and shifts through all of the gears.

Still don't have connectivity between the outer posts on the neutral safety switch in reverse - what sort of resistance should I be looking for? The center post to case is less than 10ohms in park and neutral so I figure it should be similar for the two outer posts??

Thanks for all your help guys.

Bryan.

In reverse it should show near zero (preferably less than 10) ohms when connecting one lead of the tester to one outer post and the other lead of the tester to the other outer post.